This invention relates generally to computer interfaces. More specifically, the present invention discloses a variety of computer interfaces using encoded physical mediums wherein an encoded region may include a marker indicating that information is encoded therein. The present invention also teaches data-linked physical mediums that provide users intuitive access to multimedia information that may be stored remotely.
People are constantly interacting with computerized systems, from the trivial (e.g., the computerized toaster or the remote control television) to the exceedingly complex (e.g., telecommunications systems and the Internet). An advantage of computerization is that such systems provide flexibility and power to their users. However, the price that must be paid for this power and flexibility is, typically, an increase in the difficulty of the human/machine interface.
A fundamental reason for this problem is that computers operate on principles based on the abstract concepts of mathematics and logic, while humans tend to think in a more spatial manner. Often people are more comfortable with physical, three-dimensional objects than they are with the abstractions of the computer world. In short, the power and flexibility provided by the computer and related electronic technology are inherently limited by the ability of the human user to control these devices. Since people do not think like computers, metaphors are adopted to permit people to effectively communicate with computers. In general, better metaphors permit more efficient and medium independent communications between people and computers. The better metaphor will provide the user a natural and intuitive interface with the computer without sacrificing the computer""s potential.
There are, of course, a number of computer interfaces which allow users, with varying degrees of comfort and ease, to interact with computers. For example, keyboards, computer mice, joysticks, etc. allow users to physically manipulate a three-dimensional object to create an input into a computer system. However, these computer interfaces are quite artificial in nature, and tend to require a substantial investment in training to be used efficiently.
Progress has been made in improving the computer interface with the graphical user interface (GUI). With a GUI, icons that represent physical objects are displayed on a computer screen. For example, a document file may look like a page of a document, a directory file might look like a file folder, and an icon of a trash can may be used for disposing of documents and files. In other words, GUIs use xe2x80x9cmetaphorsxe2x80x9d where a graphical icon represents a physical object familiar to users. This makes GUIs easier for most people to use. GUIs were pioneered at such places as Xerox PARC of Palo Alto, Calif. and Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The GUI is also commonly used with UNIX(trademark) based systems, and is rapidly becoming a standard in the PC/MS-DOS world with the Windows(trademark) operating system provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
While GUIs are a major advance in computer interfaces, they nonetheless present a user with a learning curve due to their still limited metaphor. In other words, an icon can only represent a physical object; it is not itself a physical object. It would be ideal if the computer interface was embodied in a physical medium which could convey a familiar meaning, one perhaps relevant to the task at hand. While progress has been made towards achieving such a goal, many roadblocks yet remain. For example, assuming that for a given application one has selected a physical medium for use as a computer interface, the information necessary to support the computer interface must still be encoded within the physical medium. Additionally, techniques must be developed for linking such interfaces with the vast wealth of information available from remote sources using computer networks like the Internet.
Redford et al.""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,265, entitled xe2x80x9cPRINTED PUBLICATION REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCESSING INTERACTIVE MEDIA,xe2x80x9d filed Jul. 1, 1994, describes one rudimentary mechanism for encoding information within a physical medium. Redford describes the use of a printed publication such as a book being constructed to include a storage media, a data button, and remote control circuitry. The button is physically attached to the printed publication and when activated by a user, data from the storage media can initiate local feedback at the printed publication and the remote control can transmit a control message to a remote computer system which in turn performs some desired operation.
While strides have been made in attempting to improve computer interfaces, there is still progress to be made in this field. Ultimately, the interface itself should disappear from the conscious thought of users so that they can intuitively accomplish their goals without concern to the mechanics of the interface or the underlying operation of the computerized system.
The present invention improves the human/computer interface by providing a method for interfacing via an encoded physical medium having a region wherein information has been encoded. The interface method includes measuring information present in a first region of the encoded physical medium and then determining whether the measured information contains a marker indicating that certain information has been encoded therein. According to one embodiment, the marker is capable of generating light within a particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths, either by reflection or through luminescence. When the marker is reflective, the sensor typically includes a light emitting element and a sensing element. However, when the marker and the encoded region are luminescent, the sensor need only include a sensing element.
In related embodiments of the present invention, the information may be encoded according to a spectral encoding scheme, a bar code scheme, or a combination thereof. The marker may be infrared ink applied over the certain encoded information, regardless of how the certain information is encoded.
The present invention also teaches that when it is determined that the marker is present in the first region, the certain encoded information is translated into certain decoded information including a function to be performed by the computer system. The function to be performed by the computer system may include, among other things, providing visual, audio, and/or tactile feedback. The certain decoded information could also include a uniform resource locator (URL) and the function may involve the computer system accessing and/or displaying an Internet web page to which the URL directs.
The present invention further teaches maintaining a database tracking the results of the user engaging the sensor with a plurality of regions, including the determination of null meaning region, i.e., regions that do not contain a marker. The database could then be used later to determine whether a specific condition (such as collection of a fixed number of clues or data points) has been satisfied. In turn, a specified action could be performed by the sensor or the computer system.
The present invention further improves upon the human/computer interface by teaching a method for creating an encoded physical medium having a region with encoded content. The method requires receiving content that is to be encoded into a desired location on the encoded physical medium, encoding the content according to a particular encoding scheme suitable for application onto the encoded physical medium, and inserting the encoded content together with a marker into a corresponding desired location within a representation of the encoded physical medium. The marker indicates that the content is encoded within the corresponding desired location, thereby enabling a subsequently engaged sensor to determine the existence of the content. Once the representation is created, the present invention further teaches that the encoded physical medium may be created from the representation.
According to a related aspect of the present invention, the step of encoding the content together with the marker includes generating a binary number that represents the content and encoding the binary number that represents the content according to a spectral encoding scheme. In some related embodiments, the marker represents ink that reflects light from within a particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths. Of course, the present invention also teaches that text and graphics may be designed within the representation of the encoded physical medium. Additionally, the encoded physical medium may be created directly, rather than first creating a representation using a computer system or other such tool.
One separate embodiment of the present invention teaches a computer interface between a user and a computer system using an encoded physical medium. The encoded physical medium is suitable for having at least one region wherein information has been encoded. The computer interface includes a sensor operable for measuring information present on the encoded physical medium, and a first device coupled to the sensor and responsive to determine whether information measured by the sensor includes a marker indicating that certain encoded information is present in the measured information. In a related embodiment, the computer interface includes a second device responsive to the first device such that when the first device determines the presence of the marker, the second device is operable to decode the certain encoded information present in the measured information. In yet another related embodiment, the computer interface also has a transmitter device operable to transmit the certain decoded information to the computer system.
In still another related embodiment, the marker is operable to generate light from within a particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths. In this embodiment, the sensor has a sensing element responsive to the particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths. By generate light, it is meant that the marker can either reflect and/or emit light.
In some embodiments, the sensor has an opaque shroud covering the sensing element to protect it from ambient light. In other embodiments, the sensor includes filter circuitry to eliminate noise due to the ambient light.
One other separate embodiment of the present invention teaches an encoded physical medium. The encoded physical medium is suitable for use in interfacing a user and a computer system and has a region wherein certain information is encoded. The certain encoded information includes a marker indicating that the certain encoded information is encoded in the first region. The certain encoded information includes data suitable for interpreting into computer readable data. The encoded physical medium may take on a variety of forms such as an article of apparel, packaging material, a book or magazine, and a globe. The certain encoded information may be encoded according to a bar code or spectral encoding scheme, the spectral encoding scheme including encoding colors red, green, and blue, and possibly some colors chosen from the infrared color range.
Still another separate embodiment of the present invention teaches an electronic data linked physical medium suitable for linking a physical medium with video and audio data stored on multimedia networked computers. Typically, the data linked medium includes a physical medium having at least one hot spot encoded with linking data enabling the data linked physical medium to access remote data, a sensor operable to measure and decode the linking data, and a transmitter operable to transmit the linking data to a remote computer system. The remote computer system is responsive to the linking data to retrieve the remote data and present it to a user of the data linked physical medium. Thus the user of the data linked physical medium is provided a mechanism for linking to and accessing remote data.
The present invention therefore provides a more intuitive and richer metaphor for the interaction between humans and computerized systems. These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.